Wente Vineyards

[Lance Rieber]

I played Wente last Sunday and had fun, but still not sure what I thought of the course overall. First the positives, great setting, great staff, wonderful shape, interesting green contours, diverse par 3's. I really like 17,14 and 2.  The course has way more elevation change than I thought. That drive up to 10 was crazy. I can't imagine how many shuttle rides the caddies got during the web.com event when it was there. The holes I thought didn't excite me was the 13, 7 and 2. Those holes I was not to enamored with. Those that have played, what are your takes on it. To much elevation? I thought it was to extreme in spots and could see how it was the hardest on the web.com tour.
Lance

[Kyle Henderson]

So... you really like 2 but it was one of the few holes that failed to excite you?


I grew up in Livermore, so this course is one of the first I ever played when I took up the game 10 years ago. I still think its a very strong course -- I always enjoy the experience. The greens are outstanding in comparison with most of the local public course competition and the scenery (rolling oak-strewn hills) is quite pleasing.

Demerits for:
-The 6th and "Lombard Street (10 switch-backs a the cart path climbs 250 feet to reach # 10" disrupt the flow of the course, but I think this choice was warranted given the relatively homogenized test of golf that defines the closing stretch in the main/flat valley.

-Too many drop-shot par 3s (7,11 and 14) since the 14th tee was moved up the hill, but each holes is compelling when considered separately.

-Too expensive (over $100 on weekends)

-Target bunkers are fund everywhere, with few reachable by average players using the appropriate tees (with regard to total length).

[Lance Rieber]

Sorry Kyle meant 3 is the one I liked. I thought 2 had to many trees off the tee that came into play know 40-100 yards off the box. Then at the 200 yard mark the fairway was like 8-10 yards wide.

[Tim Leahy]

Played the course once and really liked it, but the winds and the price keep me away unfortunately.

[Stewart Abramson]

The elevation change/drop shot factor starts with the first shot of the round


Wente Vineyards, April 2006 001_edited by tewiespix, on Flickr

[Mark Saltzman]

Man do those mowing lines look bad!

[Peter Ferlicca]

Mark,

That's funny before I even scrolled down to your post, I was thinking the exact same thing.  I wonder if that was the supers decision or the architects to set those mowing lines.  It would look better if it was a straight line on each side. 

[Kyle Henderson]

The mowing lines were moved in (and not reinstated) for a Nationwide tourney held at Wente for 3 years running. A few back tees were also added in some awkward spots from which several pros couldn't even reach the fairways (so they were effectively only used for 1 or two days in total...). Worst of all, the tour tried to grow the rough out, and I can promise your the long grass at Wente is "tangly" and needs to be no more than 2 inches long to make the course less than enjoyable with such narrow fairways. Silly tour...